Chapter 23: The Hidden Purpose
Four days passed since the duel that silenced the entire academy.
James—once considered unbeatable with his refined Fire Affinity—was defeated. Not crushed, not humiliated, but decisively outmatched. Mike's rise was no longer something that could be ignored, or even questioned. It had carved itself into the very heartbeat of the academy. And yet, instead of basking in attention, Mike had done the most unexpected thing—he vanished.
Well, not literally. He still went to classes, appeared in theory sessions, and showed up to mana manipulation exercises. But he avoided sparring arenas, library corners where elite students hung out, and, most of all, the courtyard crowds who now whispered his name like he was the second coming of a cultivation legend.
"Four days and not even a flex," Jek grumbled, flopping onto the courtyard bench beside him. "You've officially lost your chance to be cool. You had peak Main Character energy and you wasted it."
Mike raised an eyebrow, staring over his book.
Jek squinted. "What are you even reading?"
"Mana Fusion Theories: Volume II."
"You see? This is why people think you're secretly forty years old."
Auline giggled as she joined them. "He's being humble. Everyone's talking about you, Mike. Even some of the upper-year seniors are asking questions."
Mike sighed. "That's exactly what I don't want."
"Too bad," Eira chimed in, walking up with a fresh mana drink in hand. "Because today's the day it all gets worse."
"What do you mean?" Mike asked, blinking.
Jek smirked. "Don't tell me you forgot. The Freshman Competition starts today."
Mike froze. "...Right."
The academy's central arena was a massive open-air coliseum. Today, every tier of its stone seating overflowed with students, instructors, and observers.
Above the central stage floated the mana-infused crystal dome—a grand display sphere showing the list of participating freshmen. Panels appeared with brief stats and abilities—updated to reflect actual observations.
Before the first match, the roster scrolled through the dome, and Mike's eyes widened slightly when he saw two familiar names.
Shan. Dane.
"Wait," Jek said, leaning forward. "Those guys were in the Verdant Gate."
Mike nodded. "Yeah. We crossed paths during the Inter-Academy Survival Exam."
"They transferred here too?" Auline blinked.
"They were scouted," Eira added. "Both of them performed well in the gate. High-end affinity types with decent control. The Academy wanted more elite awakeners to sharpen this year's batch."
"Great," Jek groaned. "Reunion with old enemies. Always a good sign."
Shan caught their gaze across the arena and raised a hand, half in greeting, half in provocation. He wore his usual smug grin, but this time, there was a new gleam of confidence in his eyes.
Dane didn't wave. He simply met Mike's stare with a nod. No mockery. No hostility. Just acknowledgment.
"Looks like we've all come a long way," Mike murmured.
The crystal dome displayed updated participant panels:
Name: Grace
Mana Heart: Light Heart
Notable Abilities: Light Protection (Passive) – Creates a defensive barrier; Light Spear – Condensed light element into a piercing projectile; Light Healing and Light Barrier – Provides rapid recovery and defense support in battle.
Name: Shan
Mana Heart: Fire
Notable Ability: Breath of the Dragon – A powerful fire-based roar technique derived from a gold-grade crystal.
Name: Dane
Mana Heart: Lightning [Hidden Branch of Fire]
Notable Ability: Energy Charge – Imbues the body with electric currents to boost speed and damage.
Name: Luis
Mana Heart: Earth
Notable Ability: Harden Shell – Temporarily encases the user in rock-plated defense.
Name: Eira
Mana Heart: Fire
Notable Ability: Phoenix Spiral – A spiraling flame technique that burns while accelerating. Unique Skill: Ember Pulse Veil – Allows temporary transformation into defeated monsters at 50% strength.
Name: Mike
Mana Heart: Crystalline Mana Heart [Hidden Water Branch]
Notable Ability: Crystallization (Native), Current Surge, Crystalline Sword – Harnesses crystallized water mana into offensive and defensive constructs.
"Okay, seriously," Jek whispered from the side stand where participants waited, "some of these abilities are just unfair. Grace can basically teleport, and Shan has a dragon's breath."
Mike nodded slowly. "But both consume a lot of mana. Shan's technique especially—he'll need to end fights quickly."
Jek blinked. "Wait… you analyzed everyone again, didn't you?"
Mike shrugged. "Had time during my 'peaceful exile.'"
"Next time, make me a flashcard set, will you?"
A magical chime rang out across the arena, silencing the hum of murmurs.
Then, the Elder Circle descended.
Four figures—cloaked in layers of ancient elemental resonance—floated down on a radiant platform etched with sigils. Their auras wrapped the arena in absolute silence.
The first, Elder Vaen, radiated steadiness. His silver beard swayed as mana gathered like weighted earth around him. He did not speak often—but when he did, the ground listened.
Beside him, Elder Seris stood still as moonlight, eyes faintly glowing with prophetic runes. Her violet robes shimmered with illusionary stars, and the crescent on her forehead pulsed like an omen.
To her right, crackling with tension, floated Elder Nym—his lightning aura sharp as glass, his glare sharper. Known for pushing students through pain and potential alike.
The last, seated calmly with an open mana-bound tome floating before him, was Elder Rauk. He observed more than spoke, his Spirit Affinity unraveling the hidden currents of every student's aura. "Each elemental affinity brings strengths and flaws. This trial will test not only your power—but your clarity of control, your resolve, and your growth rate."
Elder Romund continued, "To be clear, no one is being forced. But those who rise may enter a path beyond anything you have imagined."
Mike's grip on his seat tightened. The weight in the air felt real now.
The rules were explained:
The entire competition will consist of solo duels only.
Matches will take place in six specially designed arenas, each one resonating with a core elemental field: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Light, and Darkness.
Participants will be matched based on elemental compatibility and skill level.
No killing is permitted, but injuries are to be expected.
External interference or spiritual items that alter one's affinity are forbidden.
Victory will depend on combat efficiency, elemental control, and adaptability within the arena's environment.
As the elders departed, the tension swelled.
In the viewing area where participants gathered near the staging platform, Mike stood with Eira, Jek, Auline, and a few others. The energy was thick with uncertainty. Then, through the side path of the arena, Grace and Luis approached—both calm, both watchful.
Jek blinked as they came closer. "Wait, what are you two doing here?"
Grace raised an eyebrow. "Surprised?"
Mike glanced between them. "Didn't expect to see you again so soon. I thought you stayed at Great Fire."
Luis shrugged. "We were offered transfers after the examination. Academy leadership wanted the top performers under one roof."
"Consolidation," Grace added simply. "They want to forge something stronger."
Luis offered a small nod toward Jek.
A moment later, another familiar figure stepped into their circle—Dane. He stood a short distance away, arms crossed, his sharp eyes scanning the group.
Jek blinked. "Dane? You too?"
Dane gave a slight nod. "Same offer. They want us here."
Eira narrowed her eyes slightly. "You didn't strike me as someone who'd accept a transfer easily."
"They didn't exactly ask," Dane replied coolly.
Mike met his gaze. There was no hostility—just weight.
"We're not done," Dane said quietly.
"I know," Mike replied.
Dane took a step back, folding into the group's edge without another word.
"They're hiding something," Grace said aloud, folding her arms. Her tone was level, but her eyes were calculating.
Shan was already nearby, leaning on the edge of the platform, his usual smirk in place. "Obviously. You don't make a dramatic announcement like that if everything's sunshine and swordplay."
Luis shrugged, but there was a tightness in his jaw. "So we're just pawns in a secret game now?"
"You're all acting surprised," Eira said, her voice steady, "but this is nothing new. It's just the first time they've admitted it."
"Still," Grace murmured, glancing up at the now-vacant sky where the elders had disappeared. "If only six will know, that means the rest of us are being used as benchmarks or bait."
"Then it just means I'll be one of the six," Shan said confidently.
"Confidence isn't the same as certainty," Eira replied calmly, her voice cutting through the murmurs.
The tension between them hummed like a drawn blade, thick with suspicion, unspoken rivalry, and ambition.
As the announcement concluded, the students were given a temporary recess to rest and mentally prepare. They hadn't been ordered to return to the dorms, but many instinctively regrouped in familiar territory.
Mike and his group settled in a quieter wing, the one they'd used since arriving. The hallway echoed with footsteps and hushed theories. Even Grace passed through briefly, exchanging a nod with Eira—former rivals now standing on the edge of something bigger.
"You think this is about the gates?" Auline asked quietly, adjusting the strap of her battle vest.
Mike looked up from his cot, his mind spinning. "Could be. Or maybe it's something worse. Something even the elders can't control."
"Sounds like a conspiracy," Jek muttered, chewing on dried mana jerky with a mock-serious frown.
"Or prophecy," Eira added softly, her gaze distant as if seeing flames that hadn't yet ignited.
Deep Beneath the Capital...
In a forgotten crypt far below the leyline chamber, flickering green flames lit a runic circle drawn in blood and ashes. Six cloaked figures stood—not knelt—each exuding a suffocating, twisted aura of corrupted mana.
At the center stood a woman with hollow eyes and blood-smeared lips. Her robes shimmered like an oil slick, stitched from old skin and forgotten prayers. Her voice trembled with manic delight.
"It's stirring... the Source. Ohhh yes, it speaks again. It scratches at the edge of the seal like a beast clawing through bone."
Behind her, a scarred man laughed hoarsely, veins pulsing unnaturally. "They start selecting ?" He spat to the side. "Idiots. The world needs not saving. It needs **undoing**."
Hovering above the ritual circle, a blackened crystal pulsed erratically, like a heartbeat out of rhythm—sick, and yet alive.
Another cultist, face hidden behind a porcelain mask shaped like a weeping infant, stepped forward. He cradled a chained tome to his chest like a lover.
"We will revive the Source of Evolution. We will open the tomb. The First Awakeners thought they sealed it away—fools."
"What's left of that ancient power will become our God," the woman breathed. "And for that… we need sacrifice. Awakened blood. Fear, all kinds of evil energy, more evil than Dark Mana."
She looked skyward through cracked stone.
"And we must kill all of them, people's blood, cry."
"HAHAHA"
A chorus of lunatic laughter rose around the circle, discordant and cracked.
"The seal will break. The world will bleed. And evolution… will begin anew."